Hi Mike, I think 'accident' is an important part of painting. As I said, when doing that painting, I found it impossible not to think or plan even though that was my intention. I tried to make an unpremeditated mark but as soon as it was there it suggested a meaning and this unavoidably informed the next mark.
You could say there are no accidents in human doings, only lack of attention. You could say there is no good or bad, only ignorance. -Peter On 26/09/2007, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Peter, Marsha, et al > > Peter said: > >"I recently did a painting where I deliberately > > tried not to think or plan as I worked, that is virtually impossible to > do > > but at least you can hold the intention; the result was quite > interesting > > but now I know I can knock them off like that any time I question it's > > value." > > Mike says: > Art is about balance, between the nuts and bolts (technique, medium, > static quality) and the inspiration (emotion, dynamic quality, etc). If the > balance is off, the art is low quality. If the goal is to get cash, your > whole process is fueled by "how to make money," so it becomes an almost > entirely cerebral and "without soul." But if you're too far in the direction > of "just letting it happen," nobody but you is going to get much out of it. > Of course it is a "perfectly valid way to work," but fewer folks will see > it's value, unless the artist "accidentally" conveys some static quality > during the creation of the work. > > Mike > > > -----Original message----- > From: "Peter Corteen" [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:55:57 -0700 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [MD] Painting > > > Hi Marsha, > > > > can an artist's work be any good if the intention behind it is driven by > the > > $? > > I don't think so, but in some cases yes. And of course artist's have to > make > > a living. > > > > $ is obviously not so important for you and that must afford you a rare > > freedom of mind. > > > > I only ever sold one painting, a commissioned portrait; so $ is not so > > important for me either. > > Still I could not give them away, unless it was one that I didn't value > but > > in that case I'd probably paint over it. > > > > Many years ago when I was in the Gurdjieff 'work' I remember reading in > one > > of their revered books that people must pay otherwise they won't value > what > > they've gained, and I think there is some truth in that. Of course there > is > > payment in kind but that's even better. > > > > You mentioned intuition, I recently did a painting where I deliberately > > tried not to think or plan as I worked, that is virtually impossible to > do > > but at least you can hold the intention; the result was quite > interesting > > but now I know I can knock them off like that any time I question it's > > value. The great part of my experience in the world insists that there > is no > > value (in that painting) because there was no consideration. But a > growing > > part of me (I hope) says that really that is a perfectly valid way to > work. > > Also, I taught Alexander Technique in the past and a continual problem I > had > > when working on people was that I should not charge them because I was > not > > 'doing' anything for them - this is difficult to explain unless you have > > some experience of the Alexander Technique which is about 'non doing'. > > > > Changing winds, the only evidence of life? > > > > > > Regards > > > > -Peter > > > > > > On 24/09/2007, MarshaV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Peter, > > > > > > I only destroyed my 'personal journal' after my husband died. My art > > > journals and sketch books, I destroyed last February. I think you > > > might be right that it was ceremony, and probably in both > > > instances. I like creating ritual and ceremony. They may be > > > conscious or unconscious. It's making an idea a more substantial > event. > > > > > > About the paintings, they are shadows of the experience, so I have > > > relatively no problem parting with them. Of course there are some I > > > am attached to more than others. Those I do take to the Goodwill, I > > > take with the hope that they find a good home (wherever that might > > > be). With me it is all about the experience of painting. > > > > > > I would prefer not to link $ with my painting. Most of my life was > > > directed towards making $. Much of that was for very good > > > reasons. But the winds changed and I find myself moving in another > > > direction. Some of this direction is dependent on intuition rather > > > than thinking, so it is difficult to find the words. > > > > > > But who knows, the winds may change again. > > > > > > Marsha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 04:14 AM 9/24/2007, you wrote: > > > >Hi Marsha, > > > > > > > >the way you describe getting rid of your journals and sketchbooks > after > > > your > > > >husband died sounds like you were ceremoniously stepping forward with > > > >resolution to a new life and throwing them out was a way of making > sure > > > that > > > >there was no going back on your decision. I think that is partly how > I > > > felt > > > >when I threw my stuff away. > > > > > > > >I am glad to hear that you didn't throw away your paintings though! > > > Giving > > > >them to Goodwill sounds like a good idea but not one I'd be capable > of > > > >having myself. The only honourable option open for me is to try to > sell > > > them > > > >- on E bay if necessary. I think giving them to Goodwill is to > undervalue > > > >them. > > > > > > > >Regards and thanks for your reply. > > > > > > > >-Peter > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >On 21/09/2007, MarshaV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > At 11:21 AM 9/21/2007, you wrote: > > > > > >Hi Marsha, > > > > > > > > > > > >do you know why you destroyed your journals and sketchbooks; of > > > course > > > > > >that's a rhetorical question and only for you to answer for > yourself. > > > > > > > > > > > >I have destroyed journals too in the past mainly because they > > > contained > > > > > >private/embarrassing stuff and I got fed up of holding on to > them. I > > > > > don't > > > > > >currently keep a journal now, probably because I know I'd write > stuff > > > in > > > > > it > > > > > >that I'd later want to throw away. Now I wont write anything that > is > > > > > >throwawayable. > > > > > > > > > > > >The subject of your email was 'Painting'; if I recall you don't > > > usually > > > > > sell > > > > > >your work, so you must have many 'works'. I'm in the same boat > and > > > have > > > > > many > > > > > >items from many years ago that hold I on to, I gaze at them and > > > wonder > > > > > about > > > > > >improvements but I practically never go back and alter. I'm > destined > > > to > > > > > lug > > > > > >all those canvases around for the rest of my life; a labour of > love? > > > Will > > > > > my > > > > > >son have to throw them away for me after I die? > > > > > > > > > > > >regards > > > > > > > > > > > >-Peter > > > > > > > > > > Hi Peter, > > > > > > > > > > I'm not sure, but I wanted to know what it would be like not to > have > > > > > them. These were my art journals, sketchbooks with poetry. My > > > > > personal journals I burned a year after my husband died, on the > date > > > > > of our anniversary. A couple of months after that anniversary > date I > > > > > woke up and took all my clothes (everything) to the Salvation > > > > > Army. I had become quite unglued. Not sure why I destroyed the > > > > > stuff more recently, curious maybe. It was a tea party, an > emptying. > > > > > > > > > > I do identify with the stacks of paintings situation. A couple of > > > > > years ago (maybe less, maybe more) I took a bunch to the Goodwill > > > > > Store. But I have again many, too many. I've giving some > away. I'd > > > > > love to give more away, but to whom? I'm not sure who would want > > > > > one. I told my son that when I die to take them to the > > > > > Goodwill. Maybe some will find a good home. > > > > > > > > > > Very much a labor of love. > > > > > > > > > > Thanks for writing. > > > > > > > > > > Marsha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >On 16/09/2007, MarshaV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Greetings, > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A few months ago, I destroyed 15 years of > > > journal/sketchbooks. This > > > > > > > morning I started a new book. Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Marsha > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > > > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > > > > Archives: > > > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > > > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > > > > >Moq_Discuss mailing list > > > >Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > > >http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > > >Archives: > > > >http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > > >http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > > Archives: > > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
